This spectacular ridge of hills that run for about 30km and form the backbone of the Trotternish Peninsula contains one of the islands most recognizable landmarks, the Old Man of Storr. Taking its name from the escarpment on which it stands, the Old Man of Storr is the most famous of the rocky basalt pinnacles which dot the landscape. Standing at an elevation of 2,359 feet and at a height of about 160 feet, its […]
The Quiraing is probably the most beautiful landslide in all of the world and is located on the eastern face of Meall na Suiramach, the northernmost summit of the Trotternish. The whole of the Trotternish Ridge escarpment was actually formed by a great series of landslides; the Quiraing is the only part of the slip still moving causing the road at its base to require repairs each year. We parked in the nearby car park […]
Portree is the largest (although you could walk the town from end to end in about half an hour) and liveliest town on Skye and was our home for 3 glorious days. It has the prettiest little harbor lined with brightly pastel painted houses and great views of the surrounding hills. Its name (from the Gaelic for King’s Harbour) commemorates James V, who came here in 1540 to pacify the local clans. We rented an […]
This was our first stop on our day exploring the Isle of Skye. The famous Kilt Rock is a sea cliff in north east Trotternish and was named for its resemblance to a kilt, with vertical basalt columns to form the pleats and intruded sills of dolerite forming the pattern. From the car park, you have to look north up the coast to see the Kilt Rock. Closer by is the Mealt Waterfall, which freefalls […]
By far the most picturesque and photographed castle in all of Scotland. Eilean Donan sits on a small tidal island where three lochs meet (Loch Duich, Loch Long, and Loch Alsh) and is connected to the mainland by a stone footbridge. The mountain backdrop and surrounding area are equally as breathtaking and as photo-worthy as the castle itself. There is a fee to enter the castle which includes a guided tour (which we did not […]
No visit to the Scottish Highlands would be complete without a boat ride on Lochness. Not only the largest lake in Scotland by volume, it’s also home to famed Nessie the Lochness Monster. And, whether or not you believe, most people hold a romanticized vision of the creature that, legend has it, plumbs the depths of the Lochs dark waters. Her story will live on for generations in everything from folklore, to pop culture to […]
The entire Union Canal runs just over 30 miles from Edinburgh Quay to the Falkirk Wheel, the world’s first rotating boat lift. Originally built to transport coal, the Union Canal opened in 1822 and played an important part in the commercial link across central Scotland before the railway was established in 1842. Today the Union Canal is popular with walkers and cyclists. We only experienced a small portion of the canal but found it charming […]
We spent a couple of days here on our way up to The Highlands and I can’t really say a whole lot about Scotland’s capital city because we didn’t spend a great deal of time in it aside from the high street….which we loved. Afterall, what’s not to love about cobbled streets, crusty pubs and bagpipers. Instead, for one of the days, we decided to book a Hairy Coo tour; a decision we didn’t regret. […]